Full Text HD-95-013
POPULATION RESEARCH CENTERS
NIH GUIDE, Volume 24, Number 21, June 9, 1995
RFA: HD-95-013
P.T. 04
Keywords:
Population Studies
Behavioral/Social Studies/Service
Sociology
National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
Letter of Intent Receipt Date: July 1, 1995
Application Receipt Date: October 20, 1995
PURPOSE
The Demographic and Behavioral Sciences Branch (DBSB), Center for
Population Research (CPR), National Institute of Child Health and
Human Development (NICHD), supports population research that uses
many of the approaches found in the social and behavioral sciences.
The DBSB supports a fixed number of Population Research Centers,
which support integrated groups of research projects and supporting
core services (P50) or core services and facilities that serve a
large number of active research projects that are supported by NIH
and outside funding sources (P30). Three existing center grants are
due for competitive renewal in FY 96. This Request for Applications
(RFA) is a solicitation for applications for center grants (P30, P50)
in this program.
HEALTHY PEOPLE 2000
The Public Health Service is committed to achieving the health
promotion and disease prevention objectives of "Healthy People 2000,"
a PHS-led national activity for setting priority areas. This RFA,
Population Research Centers, is related to the priority areas of
family planning, educational and community based programs, maternal
and infant health, HIV infection, and immunization and infectious
diseases. Potential applicants may obtain a copy of "Healthy People
2000" (Full Report: Stock No. 017-001-00474-0 or Summary Report:
Stock Number 017-001-00494-1) through the Superintendent of
Documents, Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402-9325
(telephone 202-783-3238).
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS
Applications may be submitted by domestic for-profit and non-profit
organizations, public and private, such as universities, colleges,
hospitals, laboratories, units of state or local governments, and
eligible agencies of the federal government. Racial/ethnic minority
individuals, women, and persons with disabilities are encouraged to
apply as Principal Investigators.
MECHANISM OF SUPPORT
The support mechanisms for this program are the specialized research
center grant (P50) and the center core grant (P30). Applications
should be consistent with the guidelines, which are available from
DBSB. Each center is given a commitment of five years of support and
are renewable at five year intervals. Renewals must be invited by a
specific RFA that also will give interested organizations a chance to
compete with the incumbent for the award. Because population
research center grants are complex entities, it is strongly
recommended that interested applicants contact the DBSB staff for a
personal consultation regarding the centers program. The current
policies and requirements that govern the research grant programs of
NIH will prevail. The total project period for an application
submitted in response to this RFA is five years. The anticipated
award date will be July 1, 1996.
FUNDS AVAILABLE
The DBSB anticipates funding three centers in FY 96. $1,620,000 has
been set aside for first year total cost. This is contingent on the
approval of funds in the FY 96 appropriations.
RESEARCH OBJECTIVES
Background
The DBSB supports a national network of population research centers
that provide both infrastructure and direct support of a wide range
of topics relevant to the causes and consequences of population
change. These centers are each given a commitment for five years of
support, after which they may submit an application for a renewal in
competition with other institutions in the field for an additional
five years of support. It is anticipated that three centers will
submit renewal applications in FY 96. The FY 96 competition will
allow other institutions to compete for new awards. Depending on
quality of applications and resources available, DBSB anticipates
making three awards.
Other
This RFA is specifically designed to stimulate the research community
to organize or to maintain population research centers of high
quality that will serve as a national research network that fosters
communication, innovation, and high quality research. Examples of
desired population research topics are listed below, and centers may
concentrate on any combination of these topics:
1. Fertility and Family Planning
2. Social acceptability of measures for the biological regulation of
human fertility
3. Sexual behavior, sexually transmitted diseases, AIDS, and
contraception
4. Family and household dynamics
5. Age at marriage and first birth, child spacing, family size and
fertility
6. Status and roles of women in relation to fertility, with special
emphasis on implications for the U.S.
7. Relation of economic development to population growth and decline
8. Antecedents and consequences of stability or change in the size
of the U.S. population
9. Population modelling for the projection and/or prediction of
human population change in the U.S.
10. Migration of human population groups
11. Population redistribution
12. Population composition and structure
13. Mortality of human population groups
14. Population and physical environment
15. Status of children
16. Demographic aspects of health, morbidity, and disability in
pre-retirement populations
SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS
A center core grant (P30) must be predicated on the existence of a
substantial number of research grants that will be active on July 1,
1996, and that includes at least one NIH and two other federally
funded grants. A minimum of three cores is required for each year of
a funded P30 grant. Each core unit must provide essential facilities
and services for at least three federally funded research projects at
all times, at least one of which is NIH funded. These grants must be
active users of the core facilities and services proposed in the
center grant application. The applications should be consistent with
the guidelines contained in the NICHD P30 CENTER CORE GRANT
GUIDELINES, which are available from the program contact listed under
INQUIRIES. Cooperation between independent institutions is allowed
in some circumstances. In these instances, core facilities may be
located in both institutions if they are cost effective and promote
the overall goals of the center program. Consult the statement of
clarification about center program principles that is available from
DBSB.
A specialized research center (P50) must have three or more related,
integrated, and high quality research projects that provide a
multidisciplinary, yet thematically related, approach to the problems
to be investigated. These research projects may be accompanied by an
appropriate number and type of core facilities providing
cost-effective technical support. The projects and theme of the
center must be relevant to the DBSB funding mission. The
applications should be consistent with the guidelines contained in
the NICHD P50 SPECIALIZED RESEARCH CENTER GRANT GUIDELINES, which are
available from the program contact listed under INQUIRIES.
Applicants must request travel funds to attend an annual meeting of
the directors of P50s and P30s in Bethesda, MD.
New P50 applications may not request more than $600,000 for first
year direct costs. New P30 applications may not request more than
$500,000 for first year direct cost support. Previously funded
centers may not request more than 120 percent of the National
Advisory Child Health and Human Development Council recommended
direct costs for the final year of the preceding project period.
Applications exceeding these budget guidelines will be returned to
the applicant, unless they have received written permission from
NICHD to exceed them.
INCLUSION OF WOMEN AND MINORITIES IN RESEARCH INVOLVING HUMAN
SUBJECTS
It is the policy of the NIH that women and members of minority groups
and their subpopulations must be included in all NIH supported
biomedical and behavioral research projects involving human subjects,
unless a clear and compelling rationale and justification are
provided that inclusion is inappropriate with respect to the health
of the subjects or the purpose of the research. This new policy
results from the NIH Revitalization Act of 1993 (Section 492B of
Public Law 103-43) and supersedes and strengthens the previous
policies (Concerning the Inclusion of Women in Study Population, and
Concerning the Inclusion of Minorities in Study Populations) which
have been in effect since 1990. The new policy contains some new
provisions that are substantially different from the 1990 policies.
All investigators proposing research involving human subjects should
read the "NIH Guidelines For Inclusion of Women and Minorities as
Subjects in Clinical Research", which have been published in the
Federal Register of March 28, 1994 (FR 59 14508-14513), and reprinted
in the NIH GUIDE FOR GRANTS AND CONTRACTS of March 18, 1994, Volume
23, Number 11.
Investigators may obtain copies from these sources or from the
program staff or contact person listed below. Program staff may also
provide additional relevant information concerning the policy.
LETTER OF INTENT
Prospective applicants are asked to submit, by July 1, 1995, a letter
of intent that includes a descriptive title of the proposed center,
the name, address, and telephone number of the Principal
Investigator, the identities of key personnel and participating
institutions and the number and title of the RFA in response to which
the application may be submitted. Although the letter of intent is
not required, not binding, and will not be considered in the review
of a subsequent application, the information that it contains allows
NICHD staff to estimate review workload and avoid potential conflicts
of interest in the review.
The letter of intent is to be sent to Dr. V. Jeffery Evans at the
address listed under INQUIRIES.
APPLICATION PROCEDURES
The research grant application form PHS 398 (rev. 9/91) is to be used
in applying for these grants. These forms are available at most
institutional offices of sponsored research; from the Office of
Grants Information, Division of Research Grants, National Institutes
of Health, 6701 Rockledge Drive, Room 3032, MSC 7762, Bethesda, MD
20892, telephone 301/710-0267.
The RFA label available in the PHS 398 (rev. 9/91) application form
must be affixed to the bottom of the face page. Failure to use this
label could result in delayed processing of the application such that
it may not reach the review committee in time for the review. In
addition, the RFA Title and number must be typed on line 2a of the
face page of the application form and the YES box must be marked.
Submit a signed, typewritten original of the application, including
the checklist, and three signed, photocopies in one package to:
DIVISION OF RESEARCH GRANTS
NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH
6701 ROCKLEDGE DRIVE, ROOM 1040, MSC 7710
BETHESDA, MD 20892-7710
BETHESDA, MD 20817 (for courier/express service)
At the time of submission, two additional copies of the application
must be sent to:
Susan Streufert, Ph.D.
Director, Division of Scientific Review
National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
6100 Executive Boulevard, Room 5E01
Bethesda, MD 20892
Rockville, MD 20852 (for courier/express service)
Applications must be received at the Division of Research Grants
(DRG) by October 20, 1995. If an application is received after that
date, it will be returned to the applicant without review. The DRG
will not accept any application in response to this RFA that is
essentially the same as one currently pending initial review, unless
the applicant withdraws the pending application. The DRG will not
accept any application that is essentially the same as one already
reviewed. This does not preclude the submission of substantial
revisions of applications already reviewed, but such applications
must include an introduction addressing the previous critique.
REVIEW CONSIDERATIONS
Upon receipt, applications will be reviewed for completeness by DRG
and responsiveness by the NICHD. Incomplete applications or
non-responsive applications will be returned to the applicant without
further consideration. Applications that are complete and responsive
to the RFA will be reviewed by the Population Research Committee or a
Special Review Committee of the NICHD for scientific merit and by the
NICHD's Advisory Council for program relevance and policy issues
before awards for meritorious applications are made. Review
procedures and criteria are detailed in the NICHD P30 CORE CENTER
GRANT GUIDELINES or the NICHD P50 CENTER GRANT GUIDELINES which are
available from DBSB staff.
As part of the initial merit review, a process (triage) may be used
by the initial review group in which applications will be determined
to be competitive or non-competitive based on their scientific merit
relative to other applications received in response to the RFA.
Applications judged to be competitive will be discussed and be
assigned a priority score. Applications judged to be non-competitive
will be withdrawn from further consideration and the Principal
Investigator and the official signing for the applicant organization
will be notified.
Review Criteria
o scientific, technical or medical significance and originality of
proposed research;
o appropriateness and adequacy of the experimental approach and
methodology proposed to carry out the research;
o qualifications and research experience of the Principal
Investigator and staff, particularly, but not exclusively, in the
area of the proposed research;
o availability of the resources necessary to perform the research
o appropriateness of the proposed budget and duration in relation to
the proposed research;
o Adequacy of plans to include both genders and minorities and their
subgroups as appropriate for the scientific goals of the research.
Plans for the recruitment and retention of subjects will also be
evaluated.
The initial review group will also examine the provisions for the
protection of human and animal subjects and the safety of the
research environment.
AWARD CRITERIA
The anticipated date of award is July 1, 1996. Funding decisions
will be based on scientific and technical merit as determined by the
initial review committee, NACHHD Council recommendations, program
relevance, and the availability of funds.
INQUIRIES
Written and telephone inquiries concerning this RFA are encouraged.
The opportunity to clarify any issues or questions from potential
applicants is welcome.
Direct inquiries regarding programmatic issues to:
V. Jeffery Evans, Ph.D, J.D.
Center for Population Research
National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
Executive Building, Room 8B13
6100 Executive Boulevard, MSC 7510
Bethesda, MD 20892-7510
Rockville, MD 20852 (for express mail)
Telephone: (301) 496-1174
FAX: (301) 496-0962
Email: evansj@hd01.nichd.nih.gov
Direct inquiries regarding fiscal matters to:
Ms. Melinda Nelson
Office of Grants and Contracts
National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
Executive Building, Room 8A17
6100 Executive Boulevard, MSC 7510
Bethesda, MD 20892-7510
Rockville, MD 20852 (for express mail)
Telephone: (301) 496-5481
FAX: (301) 402-0915
Email: nelsonm@hd01.nichd.nih.gov
AUTHORITY AND REGULATIONS
This program is described in the Catalog of Federal Domestic
Assistance No. 93.864 (Population Research). Awards made are under
authorization of the Public Health Service Act, Title IV, Part A
(Public Law 78-410, as amended by Public Law 99-158, 42 USC 241 and
285) and administered under PHS grant policies and Federal
Regulations, 42 CFR Part 52 and 45 CFR Part 74. This program is not
subject to the intergovernmental review requirements of Executive
Order 12372, or to Health Systems Agency review.
The PHS strongly encourages all grant and contract recipients to
provide a smoke-free workplace and promote the non-use of all tobacco
products. In addition, Public Law 103-227, the Pro-Children Act of
1994, prohibits smoking in certain facilities (or in some cases, any
portion of a facility) in which regular or routing education,
library, day care, health care or early childhood development
services are provided to children. This is consistent with the PHS
mission to protect and advance the physical and mental health of the
american people.
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